Feel-good factors are rather individual and subjective. In case of workwear, it will be more important for you to wear breathable, comfortable and easy-to-care-for clothes than with other textiles. Today some of these feel-good factors are already taken care of during the production process.
 
The following list shows you some of the feel-good factors which are particularly applicable to workwear and corporate wear.
 
Dirt repellent
Since the fall of 2005 there are textiles which are equipped with nano technology. They repel oily dirt and allow for it to be easily washed off.
 
Anti-microbic
In the future, biofunctional textiles (also called wellness clothes) are to protect us from harmful influences. Along with their traditional features, biofunctional textiles also offer an additional benefit. They are supposed to smell good or absorb bad odours. It still remains to be seen whether anti-microbic equipment will live up to its promises. Experts are also sceptical with regard to potential allergic reactions to such textiles.
 
UV protection
See internal article on UV protection of textiles.
 
Windtight
Protection from wind is one of the most important feel-good factors of clothes. Cold winds cool the body and give the impression of temperatures being much colder than they actually are. Here membranes are being incorporated which are either windtight and/or breathable. Special kinds of impregnations can also have an impact on the permeability of air. Many modern functional clothes are windtight, watertight and breathable.
 
Watertight
Watertightness is achieved by so-called membranes which are incorporated into the inside of the textiles. They make sure that the water is repelled. For clothes to be 100% watertight also the seams have to be glued. The degree of watertightness is measured in water column and must be above 1300 ml. A water column of 400 to 1300 is only considered water-repellent.
 
Breathable
Breathability refers to the transport of moisture and the permeability of vapour to the outside of textiles. Breathability can be measured e.g. by the Ret value (below 6 = extremely breathable, over 20 = not breathable). Details such as ventilation elements can improve the transport of moisture to the outside.
 
Anti-static
Antistatic refers to a quality of synthetic fibres and indicates that fibres are not or only marginally charged electrically. This can be achieved by making the fibres electrically conductive. Synthetic textiles absorb hardly any moisture and are charged electrically through friction, e.g. when walking on carpets or PVC flooring. Wool and silk can get charged in dry rooms and discharged by touching the electrostatic charge. Through antistatic treatment such as by using an antistatic spray the charging of the fibres is reduced. Textiles need to be treated repeatedly with the spray.
 
Low-maintenance
Consumers today ask for low-maintenance clothing. These are items that can be washed easily and do not need to be ironed or can do with little ironing. Low-maintenance clothes are mainly made from synthetic fibres (nylon, perlon, polyamide) and from specially treated natural fibres (e.g. cotton). The fibres normally are more resistant to dirt and can be washed more easily. Moreover, when drying them they take on their original form easier which is why these items do not look that wrinkled.
 
Tip:
Check your washing machine for a special program for low-maintenance clothes. This cycle normally runs shorter than the regular cycle. To facilitate ironing, do not overload the washing machine to have the items wrinkle less.
 
Protection
The main function of clothing is the protection of the human body from undesired influences such as coldness, moisture and heat.
Special protective clothing boasts a greater than average degree of protection since it is to protect the person wearing it from dangers, such as fire.
Other requirements are protection from violence and injury, bacteria, chemicals, etc. Along with the protective function these clothes are often supposed to increase the visibility of the people wearing them, such as the orange safety vests of roadworkers. These items “mark” the people wearing them, thus turning into a means of communication.
But protective clothing can also serve to protect the environment of a person working, e.g. in case of doctors and nurses in operating theatres or cleanrooms where the focus is on protecting the environment from contamination through e.g. human cells or fibres.
 

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